Restricted Ministerial Council Examines Preparations for 2025-2026 Academic Year and SNCPA Restructuring Program
A restricted ministerial council, chaired by Head of Government Kamel Madouri on Tuesday, reviewed preparations for the 2025-2026 academic year and the restructuring program of the National Cellulose and Paper Company Alfa (SNCPA).
Decisions Regarding the 2025-2026 Academic Year
- No Increase in Prices of Subsidized Schoolbooks and Notebooks: Prices will remain unchanged.
- Regional Distribution of Subsidized Notebooks: Specific needs will be identified by region and school to optimize distribution to eligible students.
- Targeted School Aid: Mechanisms will be put in place to coordinate public organizations' efforts to provide underprivileged families with ready-to-use schoolbags tailored to their needs.
- Local Paper Production: SNCPA will produce 5,750 tons of paper for school textbooks starting from March 2025 and 5,000 tons for subsidized notebooks from April 2025, with dedicated financial support.
SNCPA Restructuring
The council adopted several measures to strengthen SNCPA's situation:
- State Guarantee for Long-Term Loan: This financing will enable investment in production units, increase production capacity, and better control costs.
- Preservation of Alfa Plant: Efforts will be made with the Ministry of Agriculture to protect this resource, improve its collection and valorization, and combat anarchic exploitation.
- Financial Action Plan: Debt reduction and rescheduling, valorization of real estate assets, and governance improvement to ensure healthy and sustainable management.
- Update of Staff Status: Approval procedures for this file will be finalized as soon as possible.
Head of Government's Address
In opening the meeting, Kamel Madouri emphasized the importance accorded by the President of the Republic to the education sector, calling for redoubled efforts to create a healthy educational climate conducive to learning and excellence. He also stressed the need to revalue public schools as a vital pillar for the formation of elites and skills in the country.
Regarding SNCPA, he recalled the President of the Republic's directives to preserve public enterprises and ensure their sustainability through good governance. Madouri praised SNCPA's strategic role as Tunisia's sole producer of alfa paper, highlighting its economic impact and support for school supplies and Tunisian families' purchasing power.
The Head of Government concluded by calling for the restoration of SNCPA's financial balance to enable it to meet the local market's needs, estimated at 64,000 tons of printing and writing paper per year, and continue playing its crucial role in the national economy.
